There is sometimes great inequity among participants in the IPL. Some talented players do not make it into an IPL team, even though they obviously have the talent and skills to be in the league. Most players that are picked for the league make high salaries and have the financial security that goes along with it. An equally skilled player in a state league may not get an IPL contract, which could cause them financial hardship. Just to end this disparity, at least to a small level, the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) has come up with annual contracts for the domestic players.
This contract is for players who represent India or play for IPL teams. According to a Times of India report, it will start from the 2026–27 season. The MCA’s Apex Council decided that the players will be divided in three grades, A, B, C.
MCA Introduces Annual Contracts for Domestic Cricketers to Support Non-IPL Players
The A grade players will get a sum of 12 lakh to 20 lakh per annum, Grade B will be between 8 lakh to 12 lakh, and Grade C players will receive INR 8 lakh.
“This initiative marks a new era for Mumbai cricket. We are proud to be the first association to implement a player contract system—a progressive step that will provide greater security, structure, and growth opportunities for our Mumbai players,” MCA president Ajinkya Naik told TOI.
There are some rules to get these benefits. The player must be registered with the MCA to be eligible. The player must meet the minimum fitness benchmarks set by the MCA, the player should not have represented the Indian team in any format in the past two seasons, The player should not be selected by an IPL team in the past two IPL seasons, and the player must be recommended by the selection committee.